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Tips on Photographing Children by Richard Gleason
ViewZone's recent article on "Little Angels"
inspired me to write a summary of tips I have used over the many years of creating
beautiful images of young girls and women. Many people hesitate to admit that they find
these images of subdued sexuality appealing or even sensual. But, as an artist, it is
impossible to deny that the inherent beauty of these innocent girls quite obvious. I have
always loved female subjects but I have always been careful to depict them in a non erotic
manner. After all, it is the subtle beauty of these children that appeals to our sense of
beauty. We are trying to appeal to a higher understanding of the aesthetic and not to the
base instincts or aberrant feelings of the viewer.
In the photograph above you will notice that the subjects do not look at the camera. They
also have been posed to appear casual. This is an important feature of my composition.
Another concern is that my subjects do not smile, but appear to be in a sort of dreaming
state. You should attempt this technique the next time you are having a shoot, and compare
this strategy to your more posed compositions.
Not all of my subjects smile. In fact, I often click many pictures during a photo session and
try to catch my subjects off guard. You might not think that a frown or a smirk can be
attractive; however, when these expression are on the faces of children, they give a candid
feeling that allows the viewer to more fully appreciate the personality of the subjects.
Backgrounds can do much to make a picture. While it is a stereotype that red and pink are
feminine and blue and green are masculine, I like to try mixing these colors with the
genders of my subjects. A blue background gives a kind of "tom boy" feeling to a
photograph of a pretty young girl, especially if she is wearing a color that is traditionally
female. Again, I like my subjects to refrain from smiling and looking artificial. I like them
to relax and let the weight of their frames be more natural and angular.
Backdrops are relatively inexpensive and last a long time. But buying backgrounds of
different colors can become an expensive ordeal if you are not a professional
photographer.
One friend of mine has his studio set up in a small apartment and has painted each of his
four walls a different color. He simply moves the subjects and his lighting to get the
desired background color and this works remarkably well. I would recommend this method
for amateurs but I would add another suggestion. I like to take a large piece of white
cardboard and paint it with a gesso compound so that it is very bright white. Then I cut a
small hole, about 3 or 4 inches in diameter, in the center of the board. I place the lens of the
camera through this opening and then aim some of my lights directly at the board,
reflecting the light from the board and bouncing it back to my subjects. You can experiment
with this technique and you will find that it gives a more even lighting effect with minimal
shadows than if you were to simply light your subjects with traditional main and fill in
lighting.
It is also a good idea to light the backdrop with a separate light that will illuminate any
shadows caused by the subject. | 
